The next day was another gloriously sunny one.
Matching the weather’s enthusiasm was the buzzing discussion among the capital’s commoners. Since the curfew was implemented, to make a little extra money, vendors scrambled to appear as soon as the allowed time arrived each day.
The sun would take a long while to emerge from the clouds, but the streets were already filled with the smoke and fire of daily life.
The treasury needed donations, and the events of last night’s banquet had been tacitly allowed to spread, becoming today’s hot topic.
Most of it was fact, with only slight deviations.
For instance, the royal family needed a spokesperson to display the vastness of Imperial grace. In the current version, Rong Juan’s request for the Gold Medal of Immunity from Death had become the Emperor proactively bestowing it.
Learning that he was donating all his life-sustaining medicinal herbs, the commoners were thoroughly shocked.
“By the way, the Superintendent Bureau also clarified the truth of the murder case. The deceased died suddenly by accident.”
“Not so. I heard a large amount of silver was dug up from under the deceased’s house.”
“Hiss, then that money must be shady.”
“Nonsense! I said it was hidden underground.”
“The Prime Minister’s young son was proven to be poisoned and impotent. As for harassing common women, I think he was clearly set up. Maybe the deceased was the perpetrator who was bought off.”
Everyone appeared to completely forget Rong Juan’s past wrongdoings and eagerly discussed political conspiracies. During this process, they felt as if their own understanding had been improved.
“Young Master Rong is a good person who gets good rewards. We misunderstood him before.”
“It’s a pity the dead can’t testify. The Superintendent Bureau has already closed the case. Poor Young Master.”
“Need we say who the mastermind is?” A painting vendor gave a look that said, ‘Those who know, know.’
Everyone dared not say it explicitly, but they knew in their hearts this matter couldn’t be separated from the Right Prime Minister’s wife.
Besides her, it was hard to think of a third person who could administer chronic poison over the years. Since poison was used, hiring a killer was even more normal.
In high-ranking households, every family has its own skeletons in the closet.
The rumors about the Prime Minister’s manor were already unpleasant a few days ago, but they could still be suppressed.
Hearing that rumors were now spreading wildly about her lack of virtue and hiring killers, Zheng Wan felt her vision go black.
The wet nurse beside her caught her just in time, crying nervously, “Madam!”
Even powder couldn’t hide the fatigue under her eyes, and the pearls on her head shook heavily along with her.
“Blame my carelessness.”
Previously, she had tried every means to stop the Right Prime Minister from taking concubines. There were only lowly concubines in the manor, so when something happened, everyone only thought of her.
If she had known earlier, she should have elevated a concubine to act as a shield at a critical moment.
“You don’t need to be too anxious.” The wet nurse indicated she had already made a concubine commit suicide out of fear of punishment, leaving a suicide note with a sufficient reason: a miscarriage caused by the young master pushing her years ago.
This wasn’t entirely fabricated. Although Zheng Wan had schemed and instigated it back then, the person was indeed pushed by the young master himself.
“Just be sure to remain calm in front of the Master.”
After returning last night, the Right Prime Minister was clearly in a bad mood and stayed in the study all night.
Zheng Wan understood her childhood sweetheart better than anyone. Hearing this, she said softly, “This matter concerns the face of the Prime Minister’s manor. Whether he believes it or not, he won’t investigate in detail.”
Her husband was too shrewd. Only her son was her future reliance.
Hope surged again in Zheng Wan’s eyes: “Are there any discussions outside about Sui’er?”
Rong Hengsui had accompanied his father this time to prepare for entering officialdom.
The current Emperor was somewhat taboo about father and son serving in the same court. To be put in an important position, he had endured and not taken the imperial examination immediately, waiting for an opportunity.
Rong Hengsui perfectly inherited his father’s callousness and was willing to be ruthless to himself.
He chose to adopt a plan offered by a retainer, intentionally exposing his identity in Dingzhou to take a knife for the cause against the rebels.
He was waiting for officials of his father’s faction to put in a good word for him before the Emperor afterward, so he could naturally catch the Emperor’s eye.
The idea was good, and his injury while protecting evidence was indeed written into the memorial. According to the normal trajectory, the Emperor would definitely offer a few words of concern and bestow rewards.
But the whole family’s credit was claimed by Rong Juan yesterday.
Now the Emperor’s entire focus was on the donations. Anyway, the Prince was captured, and the rebellion ended without a hitch. The equally callous and ungrateful Emperor had long forgotten a subject’s son in some corner.
As for the common people, compared to that bit of merit, they preferred discussing the dirty laundry of the Prime Minister’s manor.
Seeing the wet nurse’s hesitant expression, Zheng Wan guessed the gist: “Bastard!”
The pent-up frustration of these days exploded completely. Her heart seized with pain, and she fainted dead away.
The wet nurse turned pale with fright: “Quick! Call a doctor.”
The manor was thrown into chaos.
Rong Hengsui, recuperating from his wound in bed, heard the commotion and was supported as he walked out. “What happened… Mother!”
…
While the Prime Minister’s manor was a mess, someone hadn’t even gotten out of bed yet.
The morning sunlight was warm, scattered in fragments on the bed. This place was shady, with plenty of greenery outside, keeping it cool even in summer.
“Koukou, set an alarm for ten minutes from now.”
The Gold Medal of Immunity from Death was actually an Iron Certificate of Dan Books. It required a series of tedious procedures, like retrieval and registration, before it could be officially awarded.
Once the Ministry of Rites registered it, palace servants would deliver it personally.
This meant Rong Juan had to receive an edict this morning.
He possessed the virtue of sleeping in. Currently hugging the light Tencel quilt, his sleeping posture was unrestrained, pants legs rolled up to his knees, unwilling to let go.
[Okay zZZ…]
Ten minutes later, both parties were simultaneously stunned awake by the mental ringtone.
“So dizzy. Koukou, call me in five minutes.”
Five minutes were enough for him to get up and get ready.
[Mm zZZ…]
“Just a few more minutes” is the greatest lie in human history. Unsurprisingly, when the eunuch delivering the edict arrived, Rong Juan was running while wiping his face with a wet cloth.
Seeing his disheveled hair and water still dripping from his cheeks, the eunuch’s face instantly darkened.
Rong Juan preemptively said, “I didn’t drink my medicine this morning and can’t muster any energy. I am truly ashamed.”
He was already thin. A casual sway gave the impression he was terminally ill.
The eunuch, who originally harbored some dissatisfaction, immediately felt pity upon hearing this.
After reading the Emperor’s will, the two exchanged a few pleasantries, and the eunuch’s dissatisfaction vanished completely. The inexplicable sense of equality during their conversation meant the eunuch didn’t even mind that he hadn’t slipped a tip.
Rong Juan accepted the cylindrical, tile-shaped Iron Certificate and symbolically watched the eunuch leave.
He turned his head.
Gu—
A high-speed parrot was speeding toward his forehead.
Assassin! Rong Juan’s eyes widened.
The next second, a black shadow appeared in front of him.
Before the evil bird could smack his face, the reckless parrot’s wings were precisely and directly grabbed by the black shadow, causing it to squawk in mid-air.
“Gu gu gu, gu gu.”
Rong Juan, still shaken, looked at the struggling parrot and said sincerely for the first time, “Thank you for saving my face.”
When he saw clearly who it was, he froze: “General Xie?”
Xie Yanzhou, holding the parrot that was high on tonic and acting like it had been injected with chicken blood, looked at him expressionlessly.
Rong Juan rubbed the tip of his nose, puzzled.
There was definitely no one within three meters just now. To appear so quickly, he must have used qinggong (lightness skill).
Thinking of this, he raised an eyebrow, forgiving the parrot’s reckless collision. Cheap Dad’s political rival taking the initiative to save him meant his opinion of him had greatly improved.
This was the result Rong Juan wanted.
As long as it wasn’t a foreign invasion, no matter who became Emperor, based on Xie Yanzhou’s military power and talent, he could make it to the final circle.
Moreover, he was a plastic adopted son to the Chief Superintendent, but Xie Yanzhou was the real adopted son.
All things considered, this relationship could benefit him too.
Xie Yanzhou said with mockery, “Seems you still haven’t learned your lesson.”
Zoning out face-to-face—no wonder he could be attacked by a beast while walking.
Rong Juan finally noticed the perpetrator.
“Double-door fridge parrot?” (TN: Refers to the wide-shouldered “dorito” body type often seen in Korean manhwa/comics)
The steward hurried over with the birdcage. The parrot despised the cage for being too small and refused to be stuffed in.
Its claws hooked onto the bar, wings folded inward, making its chest look exceptionally robust. At a glance, it had the strangely majestic “double-door” build often seen in X-rated comics.
Xie Yanzhou didn’t understand what Rong Juan was saying, but grasped his meaning. This parrot was indeed ridiculously fat, and not just fat—it was fat in a muscular way, or it wouldn’t have easily opened the cage door to escape.
As a man, Rong Juan still had dreams of being tall and mighty in his bones. He hurriedly asked, “What does this parrot usually eat? I can improve the recipe.”
Later, he’d let the System research it; he wanted to grow into a “double-door” too.
Xie Yanzhou’s perpetually cold face showed a subtle expression for the first time upon hearing this.
Rong Juan suddenly looked Xie Yanzhou up and down carefully.
He turned his attention to the General Manor’s food. It must be excellent; otherwise, how could Xie Yanzhou grow so tall?
Anyway, on this matter, Rong Juan never believed height was genetically determined. Besides, Rong Chenglin was quite tall; there was no reason for him to be short.
“It’s troublesome for the kitchen staff to cook multiple times a day. How about I dine with the General from now on? Striving to reach 1.8 meters before I die.”
A young, good-looking person smilingly discussing his own life and death in the vibrant summer.
Xie Yanzhou frowned. “I heard the young masters in the Prime Minister’s manor are enlightened early. Do you not even understand basic taboo avoidance?”
He had been in the army too long and always spoke harshly. Seeing Rong Juan look innocent and seemingly frightened, he finally softened his tone slightly, though his words were still sharp as a blade.
“Can you get up?”
What a realistic question.
Driven by the obsession to grow taller, Rong Juan decided to make an effort: “Then I’ll sleep an extra hour every day, just in time for your lunch.”
“…”
…
Rong Juan always kept his promises. The next day, he successfully made it to Xie Yanzhou’s lunch.
He didn’t know if he was being sentimental, but after the palace banquet, the entire General’s Manor, including Xie Yanzhou, seemed much friendlier to him.
For instance, the meals. Except for the very first meal, which was mainly meat and spicy, subsequent meals came in two sets: light and spicy-meat, catering to both his and Xie Yanzhou’s tastes simultaneously.
Rong Juan: “Mandarin Duck Rice.” (TN: Like Mandarin Duck Hotpot, split into spicy and non-spicy)
The maid nearby blushed.
Xie Yanzhou scolded, “What nonsense are you talking about?”
Rong Juan wondered, “Isn’t this way of eating just like a Mandarin Duck Pot?”
“…”
A life of just eating and drinking is empty; living requires spiritual civilization.
After the meal, Rong Juan took up the job of a copyist. He copied a song, asked around, and gathered the scoundrel friends who had previously egged on the original host to commit evil at a restaurant.
Since Rong Juan’s reputation improved, the jealous friends thought he was finally returning to his wicked ways, only to find themselves listening to opera.
As soon as the adapted version of “Dedication of Love” began, the storyteller promptly recounted the stories of the soldiers who had sacrificed their lives.
Rong Juan pulled a repeat performance, calling for donations.
The main point was: I donated, so others can’t be left behind.
Initially, the donations weren’t much, but he had thick skin. He did it once, twice, and thrice.
The elders of these dandies still let them come, wanting to probe the situation of the General’s Manor through Rong Juan.
Back and forth, Rong Juan made a fortune.
Too lazy to distribute it himself, he took the privately raised silver and rode a sedan to the Superintendent Bureau.
In the Imperial City, there was only one place that lacked human presence year-round. As a meticulously organized, massive, and thoroughly demonized agency, ordinary people would never voluntarily come to the Superintendent Bureau.
Xue Ren was wearing a green shirt and homemade thin sheepskin gloves, stained with blood.
The guard at the door looked away slightly.
Besides autopsies, this man was also extremely skilled at torture.
There was a traitor in the Bureau. Xue Ren had just finished the interrogation, his clothes stained with foul black blood, looking nothing like the refined scholar from his part-time coroner gig that day.
He was long accustomed to the fearful looks of others until a burst of cheerful singing suddenly drifted over.
“I found twenty thousand taels by the roadside and gave them to Uncle Xue Ren~ Hey, Coroner Xue!”
Uncle?!
Xue Ren’s face fell. When he looked over with a venomous expression, the sedan landed right in front of him.
Rong Juan was too lazy to walk a single step.
He had gained a preliminary understanding of the structure and key personnel of the Superintendent Bureau. Handing out a stack of banknotes, he smiled and sang, “Uncle takes the money, can you divide it evenly? Give it to the old soldiers in the capital. Goodbye, Uncle.”
The curtain closed, and the sedan was lifted again. Unlike Rong Juan, the sedan bearers were genuinely terrified of Xue Ren and vanished like a gust of wind.
Truly coming and going like the wind.
It was so fast it felt like a dream; one couldn’t be sure if anyone had actually come.
The guard at the door opened his mouth, recovering after a long while.
The guard couldn’t help but boldly ask, “Sir, are you really going to distribute it for him?”
Xue Ren shook the demonic melody from his head, revealing teeth white to the point of being ghastly. “Can a kid like him order me around?”
The guard looked puzzled at the banknotes in his hand.
“Idiot, would you refuse money handed to you?”
“…”
“Then Sir, should we throw it back and punish him for bribery?”
Xue Ren gave him a cold look. “With a brain like yours, you want to plead for others?”
Bribery could implicate him; it was obvious the guard wanted him to let Rong Juan off easy.
The guard smiled sheepishly.
The court’s pension had been in arrears for two years. It was naturally good that someone was willing to fill the hole.
Looking at the thick stack of banknotes, Xue Ren said with a headache, “Never mind. Call an accountant. Break it all into small change first, then distribute it evenly according to the roster.”
Watching Xue Ren count the money while wearing those bloodstained leather gloves, the guard recalled his nickname “Human Skin Ghost” among the populace. After thinking about it, he still said, “This Young Master isn’t a bad person.”
As for the rumors outside, the rumors about their Superintendent Bureau hadn’t been any better.
Xue Ren didn’t deny this but laughed and cursed, “That kid is cunning.”
Not only shrewd but also lazy.
He calculated that, given the relationship between the Superintendent Bureau and the General’s Manor, Xue Ren wouldn’t dare embezzle, so he came looking for free labor.
As for the reason… The Prime Minister was furious, so presumably, this guy would have to stay in the General’s Manor for a while longer.
Eating someone’s food makes your mouth soft; taking someone’s hand makes your hand short. He donated medicine at the banquet and now donated money. Hearing this, Xie Yanzhou probably wouldn’t make things difficult for him anymore.
However—
Xue Ren: “Is this medicine and money really his?”
The money reeked of heavy cosmetic powder; it must have been carried by people who frequented entertainment venues. He had heard plenty about Rong Hengsong forcibly abducting women, but never about him going to brothels.
On the other side, attracted by the aroma of street-side wontons, Rong Juan took time to eat at a street stall.
An official’s son walked out of a gambling den nearby. Seeing this punchable face, he couldn’t help rolling up his sleeves.
Facing his aggressive momentum, Rong Juan put down his chopsticks and hummed the child-coaxing “Dedication of Love.”
The hand the official’s son had rolled up his sleeve with instinctively reached into his purse. When he realized what he was doing, he almost slapped himself.
His old parents! Now, hearing this tune makes him feel like donating.
Looking up again, he found Rong Juan was gone. He roared, “Where is he?”
The person was already half a mile away.
The sedan bearers carried him steadily.
Rong Juan, full of food and drink, rubbed his slightly bulging dolphin belly. “Comfortable.”
The System popped up: [Why a dolphin belly?]
“Because I possess a dolphin-like, beautiful singing voice.”
[…] To them, you’re more like a siren luring boatmen to jump into the sea.
Rong Juan pretended not to hear.
The tragedy of the original host lay in the Prime Minister’s manor’s indulgent killing and the wicked friends adding fuel to the fire. Now, giving a little payback counted as resolving the karma of borrowing a corpse.
It’s carefree and light.
For the next four or five days, Xue Ren was busy arranging the distribution of pensions. He deliberately didn’t reveal that it was Rong Juan’s credit right away, acting as if he wanted to claim it himself to anger the kid.
Young people are full of spirit. He thought the other party would come to argue angrily. Who knew that upon inquiring, he learned the guy took a special carriage to the restaurant every day, teased the parrot after returning to the manor, and even bought many fresh flowers to place in the courtyard so he could admire them without leaving the house.
Clearly, he didn’t care about reputation at all.
Thinking of a dandy living a life envied by many while he worked overtime for days in anger, Xue Ren cursed loudly.
On this sunny and breezy day, Rong Juan was happily teasing the parrot.
He had gotten familiar with the double-door parrot.
It was a male parrot, easy to get along with, smart, and affectionate. Rong Juan named it “Brother Strong.”
As for the System, it was admiring the “Thousand Mountains and Ten Thousand Beauties” painting. The hundred-meter-long scroll was full of System beauties, each round, many with only a mouth.
Rong Juan had seen it once and was thoroughly terrified.
The System chatted with him in its spare time.
[When I went out to be a street lounger this morning, I heard old soldiers speaking well of you in the tavern.]
Rong Juan, admiring the flowers, felt the flowers lose their fragrance. He sighed faintly, “Why didn’t Xue Ren take this credit again?”
Too much fame would eventually become a burden. He didn’t want to hear those excessive praises for his morality.
If he didn’t know the answer, the System certainly didn’t either.
The sun moved west. The tea set nearby emitted a fragrant steam.
Another day wasted happily. Rong Juan half-closed his eyes, listening to the unique rhythmic creaking of the rocking chair.
“Everyone is busy while I alone am idle.” Feels good.
Before he could finish the “Ah,” he was interrupted by hurried footsteps. Before opening his squinted eyes, Rong Juan seemed to vaguely see the steward’s figure.
What’s the rush?
He thought, At the steward’s age, he should have learned to slack off at work.
The steward came for him: “Young Master, stop rocking. Quickly go receive the edict.”
Rong Juan was confused as he got up and followed the steward to the front courtyard.
The long-white-browed eunuch he had met a few times appeared in the manor again.
This time, his attitude toward Rong Juan was noticeably more respectful than before.
“Lord Rong, good news.”
Lord—Rong?
Who are you calling?
Before Rong Juan could react, the eunuch stood still, entered the courtyard, unfurled the yellow scroll, and began to read the edict respectfully:
“…Consulting you, Rong Hengsong, accumulating propriety and righteousness, respecting morality, possessing high character and a heart of great righteousness. We specially appoint you as the Vice Director of the Ministry of Rites, to assist in handling daily affairs.”
They were close, but the voice sounded like it came from the heavens, shocking him to the core.
Rong Juan knew every character, but strung together, he suspected he hadn’t woken up yet.
He bit the tip of his tongue. Confirming it wasn’t a dream, Rong Juan’s breath hitched.
It’s a true bolt from the blue!
When the heavy edict was placed in his hands, Rong Juan finally snapped out of it.
Is the Dog Emperor crazy?
Before he could figure out the special political significance contained within, the long-white-browed eunuch walked down the steps, smiling as he congratulated him: “Congratulations, Lord Rong. This is an unprecedented honor.”
Vice Director of the Ministry of Rites was a proper Upper Sixth Rank position. The court had a nine-rank system, and the Fifth Rank was a watershed. However, for someone like Rong Juan to sit in an Upper Sixth Rank position before turning twenty was truly rare among civil officials.
Rong Juan covered his chest, gasping for air.
I have a civil service position!
It’s a 9-to-5 civil service position! Even Koukou didn’t want this!
Seeing him unable to catch his breath, the eunuch stroked his long white eyebrow with a raised finger. “Look how excited you are.”
I must report to His Majesty later that Young Master Rong was so excited after receiving the edict that he almost fainted.
On the other side, hearing that Rong Juan had exceptionally entered officialdom, the Right Prime Minister’s wife, whose health had just improved, felt struck by lightning again.
“My son took a knife specifically to enter officialdom. He, a short-lived ghost, on what grounds? On what…”
Before she could finish, she fainted dead away again.
Author’s Note:
Unofficial History: If the Emperor is in full bloom, official positions come naturally.